Plans to improve Kingsmead Leisure Centre facilities

We will consider all the comments we received and make a decision on whether to go ahead in April. Work would then start in late 2018 or early 2019.

What are we proposing?

Kingsmead Leisure Centre is very popular but we recognise it is in need of significant investment. The fitness gym and studios have reached capacity and extra space is needed to meet demand, while the swimming pool changing facilities need an upgrade.

We’re now working with Active Life to improve the facilities on offer and want to hear your views on the plans.

The main proposals are:

extend the gym to create extra space including more and bigger studios

create a new two-storey soft play area and adventure zone next to a refurbished café

create a new pool changing area

refurbish the dry male and female changing rooms

increase the amount of parking on site

In addition, there are two options for the future and of the sports hall:

option one – change the use of the current sports hall, replacing it with a large multi-purpose sports and exercise space. Research carried out by us and Sport England shows there is currently a surplus of sports halls around the district. Work would be done with current hirers to help them find a new place to play their sports. View the plans for option one

option two – provide the new facilities outlined in option one and a new sports hall on the first floor. This would give the capacity to grow participation and provide extra space for use by more community groups. View the plans for option two

The cost

Option one (main proposals and no sports hall) costs £9.013 million.

Option two (main proposals and new sports hall) costs £10.52 million.

We will be borrowing the money to fund the work and paying it back over 20 years. The repayments on option two would cost an extra £96,000 a year for 20 years, or just over £1.9 million in total.

More information

Under option one, the proposals include and extended gym space with a new interactive/high intensity zone that would increase gym area by 191 square metres, along with three studio spaces, a spin studio and one multi-purpose space, which would provide 353 square metres of extra studio space.

Option two would see two studio spaces (instead of three under option one), a spin studio and one multi-purpose space, which would provide 273 square metres of extra studio space.

To support the improved fitness facilities, the dry-side changing rooms would be refurbished to a high standard.

For younger visitors to the centre, a new two-storey soft play area and adventure zone would be created next to a refurbished and slightly extended café. The adventure zone would include a climbing area.

A sessional crèche would be accommodated within the proposed soft play area or the multi-purpose room to support the centre’s wider programme.

The refurbishment would see the demolition of the current pool changing rooms. The new pool changing areas would offer comfortable and safe changing facilities along with the benefit of a small health suite including sauna and steam rooms.

The existing wet changing room would be demolished and the area would be used to provide around 48 extra parking spaces. If option two is agreed, the sports hall would be rebuilt above the additional parking spaces.

Sign up for alerts

You can sign up to receive notifications when a post is added to an area you’re interested in.